Will be administered trial dose of Covaxin tomorrow, says Haryana minister Anil Vij

Haryana's health minister, Anil Vij, on Thursday, said that he will be administered a trial dose of 'Covaxin' on November 20.

Haryana's health minister, Anil Vij, on Thursday, said that he will be administered a trial dose of 'Covaxin' on November 20. Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine 'Covaxin' is beginning its Phase 3 clinical trials in Haryana from tomorrow.

"I will be administered a trial dose of Coronavirus vaccine i.e. Covaxin, a Bharat Biotech product, tomorrow at 11 am at Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantt under the expert supervision of a team of doctors from PGI Rohtak and Health Department. I have volunteered to take the trial dose," the health minister tweeted. On November 18, Vij had offered to become the "first volunteer" for Phase-III clinical trial of the vaccine

"Trial for the third phase of Covaxin a coronavirus vaccine product of Bharat Biotech to start in Haryana on 20th November. I have offered myself as the first volunteer to get vaccinated," Vij tweeted. In October, the Drugs Controller General of India gave permission to Bharat Biotech for conducting the Phase-III clinical trial for Covaxin

The Phase 3 trials will involve 26,000 volunteers across India and will be conducted in partnership with ICMR. It is the largest clinical trial conducted for a Covid-19 vaccine in India. Trial volunteers will receive two intramuscular injections about 28 days apart. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive Covaxin or placebo.

The trial is double-blinded, such that the investigators, the participants, and the company will not be aware of who is assigned to which group.Covaxin has been evaluated in about 1,000 subjects in Phase I and Phase 2 clinical trials, with promising safety and immunogenicity data. Volunteers who wish to participate in this trial should be adults over 18 years of age. (ANI)